18-membered cyclic esters derived from glycolide and lactide: preparations, structures and coordination to sodium ions

From reactions between glycolide or lactide (4 equiv.) with 4-dimethylaminopyridine, DMAP (1 equiv.) and NaBPh(4) (1 equiv.) in benzene at 70 degrees C the cyclic ester adducts (CH(2)C(O)O)(6)NaBPh(4) and (CHMeC(O)O)(6)NaBPh(4) are formed respectively. The structures of the salts Na(S,R,S,R,S,R)-(CH(3)CHC(O)O)(6)](2)BPh(4).CH(3)CN and (CH(2)C(O)O)(6)NaBPh(4).(CH(3)CN)(2) are reported. The cyclic esters were separated by chromatography and the structures of (CH(2)C(O)O)(6), (S,R,R,R,R,R)-(CHMeC(O)O)(6) and (S,S,R,R,R,R)-(CHMeC(O)O)(6) were determined. The (1)H and (13)C NMR data are reported for one of each of the six enantiomers of (CHMeC(O)O)(6) and the two meso isomers. The mechanism for the formation of these 18-membered rings is discussed in terms of an initial reaction between DMAP and NaBPh(4) in hot benzene that produces NaPh and DMAP:BPh(3) in the presence of the monomer lactide. The cyclic esters (CHMeC(O)O)(6) can also be obtained from the reaction between polylactide, PLA, in the presence of DMAP and NaBPh(4). The cyclic esters 3-methyl-1,4-dioxane-2,5-dione and 3,6,6-trimethyl-1,4-dioxane-2,5-dione undergo similar ring enlarging reactions to give cyclic 18-membered ring esters as determined by ESI-MS.